ROPE MAKING BY NATIVE AMERICANS

THEY USED DOGBANE OR INDIAN HEMP ROOT, BARK AND LEAVES AS WELL AS OTHER MATERIALS INCLUDING AGAVE LEAF, INNER BARK OF BASSWOOD, STALK OF BULL THISTLE, CATTAIL LEAVES, CEDAR BARK CEDAR PULL STRIPS, COTTON WOOD SHRED, DAY LILY LEAVES, ELM BARK, FLAX FIBER, HICKORY INNER BARK, IRIS LEAVES, FLAX FIBER, JUNIPER ROOTS, MILKWEED STEM FIBER, LINDEN INNNER BARK. MULBERRY INNER BARK, NETTLES STEM, RED DOGWOOD BARK, SAGEBRUSH BARK, SEDGE LEAVES, SWEETGRASS LEAVES, TULE LEAVES, WHITE OAK SHRED, WHITE OAK INNER BARK, WILLOW BARK, GREEN YUCCA YUCCA POUNDED.

CORDAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS OF EVERYDAY LIFE. OTHER THAN SINEW THE NATIVES USED THE ABOVE PLANTS FOR MAKING ROPE AND STRING. CERTAIN PLANTS AND FIBERS WERE ABLE TO STAND UP TO WATER IMMERSION, AND WERE MUCH MORE ABUNDANT TO PROCURE THAN ANIMAL.

CORDAGE CAN BE MADE FROM MANY MATERIALS. EACH OF THE PLANTS ABOVE HAVE A SPECIAL WAY OF BEING PREPARED FOR USING CORDAGE. THE TWO WAYS OF MAKING A CORD ARE BRAIDING OR TWINING. BRAIDING USED FLAT SPLIT MATERIALS. ONCE THE MATERIALS ARE PREPARED THERE ARE TWO METHODS FOR MAKING FIBER INTO CORDS. FINGER TWINING OR A LEG ROLLING METHOD WHICH WAS USED BY THE WAPPO. FOR MAKING DOGBANE ROPE FOR CATCHING DEERS IN NETS.

STRING AND ROPE IS INDISPENSABLE IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION - BOWS, FISHING LINES, SNARES AND TRAPS. JUST STRIP OFF THE BARK FROM DEAD TREES AND WRAP THEM TOGETHER. DAMPEN YOUR SKIN TO ROLL THE FIBERS BETWEEN YOUR PALMS AGAINST YOUR LEG. THIS CREATES A STRAND. TO SECURE THE TWIST TAKE THE MIDDLE IN YOUR TEETH AND BRING THE TWO ENDS TOGETHER. THE STRAND WILL TWIST AROUND ITSELF NATURALLY WHEN YOU LET GO. KNOT THE END TO KEEP IT FROM UNRAVELING, AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE A STRONG CORD FOR ROPE OR TWINE. I LEARNED THIS METHOD FROM A YOUNG WAPPO LADY. WE USED SOAKED INDIAN HEMP. IT IS A LITTLE TRICKY TO MAKE AS OUR GROUP DISCOVERED. HOWEVER, SHE WAS AN EXPERT.

IT IS EASIEST TO USE THE BARK FROM THE CAMBIAN LAYER IN THE SPRING. AND IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO CUT AROUND THE ENTIRE TREE SO IT WILL LIVE. IF YOU USE NON PITHY PLANTS - NETTLES AND RUSHES - JUST POUND THESE FIBERS ON WOOD WITH A ROUNDED ROCK. YOU CAN SPLICE THE FIBERS TOGETHER WITH ALMOST ANY PLANT.

ANIMAL SINEW IS FROM EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG ROPE. A STRAND CAN HOLD THE WEIGHT OF A MAN. SINEW IS THUS GOOD FOR BOW STRINGS, FISHING LINES, SNARES, WRAPPINGS AND THREADS. IT DRIES VERY STIFF VS. PLANT STRINGS.

HOW TO SPLICE - TO MAKE A LONG ROPE YOU NEED TO SPLICE TOGETHER MANY SHORTER PIECES. FIRST TWIST AND KINK THE BUNDLE SO THAT ONE END IS TWICE AS LONG AS THE OTHER. THEN USE THE REVERSE TECHNIQUE AND WRAP TO WITHIN AN INCH OR TWO OF THE SHORT END. SEPARATE THE FIBERS OF THE SHORT END WITH YOUR FINGERS. NOW ATTACH A SECOND BUNDLE OF EQUAL THICKNESS BY SPREADING AND FITTING IT'S FIBER ENDS INTO THOSE OF THE FIRST BUNDLE. KEEP A UNIFORM THICKNESS OF CORDAGE AND CUT OUT HALF OF THE FIBERS BEFORE PUSHING THEM TOGETHER. CONTINUE TO TWIST AND WRAP AS BEFORE, BUT DO NOT PULL THE STRANDS APART. WHEN YOU COME TO THE END OF THE ORIGINAL STRAND, ADD A THIRD PIECE AND SO ON. NEVER HAVE TWO PIECES IN THE SAME PLACE.

AFTER WRAPPING AND SPLICING IS DONE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF LOOSE FIBERS STICKING OUT. RUN THE PIECE THROUGH A FLAME. AND THEY WILL BURN OFF.
TO KEEP THE ENDS FROM FRAYING EITHER WEAVE THEM BACK INTO THE TWISTED CORD AND SECURE THEM WITH OVERHAND KNOTS AND LASH THEM TO THE TOOL OR MATERIAL YOU'RE WORKING WITH OR WHIP THE ENDS BY WRAPPING CORDAGE. TRY THESE SKILLS BEFORE YOU NEED THEM IN A WILDERNESS SITUATION. YOU'LL FIND THEY ARE A WAY TO RECLAIM YOUR HERITAGE.

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